Chat rooms attract grammar rebels and boy-band fan clubs, but they may have earned their place in the writing classroom as well. A chat room is a space where a group of writers meet to carry on conversation. Unlike discussion forums that allow a writer time to compose his/her thoughts, chat rooms demand a writer's constant attention to a thread of ongoing discussion (much like a conversation). Instructors use chat rooms mainly to engage students thoughts on a topic, and to generate ideas for writing. While chat rooms typically do not lend themselves to polished writing, they encourage participation and can aid in the development of ideas.